Quote a $25K furnace and AC install
without a spreadsheet.
Describe the scope in plain language. Markup’s AI-assisted quote builder suggests line items based on your trade, your labour rates, and your markup floors. Every line is yours to review, adjust, and approve before the quote goes anywhere near the client.
- Split equipment, materials, and labour on separate line items
- Set markup floors per category so margin never slips
- Attach your TSSA contractor licence number to every quote automatically
- Client e-signs from a phone link, no login, no app
- Quote converts to a proper invoice in one click when the job is accepted
Service calls and install jobs
need different invoices.
A $200 annual tune-up is a simple service call. A $25,000 furnace-and-AC replacement on a homeowner’s property is an improvement to real property under the Ontario Construction Act. The invoice format determines whether you can start the 28-day payment clock and whether lien rights apply.
Markup handles both. Service calls get a clean, fast invoice. Large installs get a province-aware proper invoice with every required field populated automatically from your project data. You pick which type applies.
- 28-day payment clock on qualifying installs (Ontario Construction Act s.6.1)
- Auto late-payment reminders at day 7 and day 14
- PDF download and email delivery in one click
- Mark paid in one click, no processing fee, no middleman
T5018. Holdback. Lien deadlines.
None of it falls through.
Canadian HVAC contractors have more compliance exposure than most trades: province-specific tax on equipment and labour, T5018 obligations for every subcontracted installer and refrigeration tech over $500 per year, and lien deadlines that differ between Ontario, BC, and Alberta. Markup tracks all of it.
Ontario HST 13%. Alberta GST 5% only. BC GST + PST. Quebec GST + QST. Nova Scotia HST 14%; NB / NL / PEI HST 15%. Applied automatically based on the province for each job, no manual lookups.
Any installer, refrigeration tech, or ductwork sub you pay more than $500 in a calendar year needs a T5018 slip. Markup tracks cumulative payments per sub and flags when you cross the threshold.
The Construction Act requires a 10% statutory holdback on progress payments for qualifying improvements. Markup calculates and tracks holdback as a separate line on every proper invoice.
Ontario: 60 days from last supply. BC: 45 days. Alberta: 60 days. Markup starts the clock from the last supply date you record and sends a reminder before the window closes.
Built for a phone in a
work glove.
HVAC techs are on the road all day. Markup works on whatever phone or tablet you already have. Touch targets are large enough to use with work gloves on. Every action is one or two clicks from the job list.
- Today's job list opens fast on whatever phone you carry
- Log an expense against the job the moment you pay for parts
- Send an invoice from the job site before you drive away
- Click to call or email your client from their client page
- Client signs the quote from their own phone, no app required
Every compliance rule
already built in.
Built for Canadian compliance,
not bolted on after.
ServiceBox is the only Canadian-flavoured field-service app aimed at HVAC. It handles scheduling and work orders well. Markup focuses on the financial and compliance layer that Canadian contractors actually get fined for missing.
Feature comparison based on publicly available information as of May 2026. ServiceBox is a trademark of its respective owner.
HVAC contractor
questions, answered.
Questions about HVAC-specific compliance, invoicing types, and what Markup does and does not do.
Start 14-day trial →Does HVAC work qualify under the Ontario Construction Act?
It depends on the job. Large equipment installs (full furnace and AC replacements, commercial rooftop units, ductwork in a new build) are typically improvements to real property and fall under the Construction Act. That means you can issue a proper invoice to start the 28-day payment clock, and the 10% holdback and lien rights apply. Routine maintenance and service calls on existing systems generally do not qualify as improvements to real property and are governed by standard contract law instead. When the work crosses the line, your invoice format needs to match.
Do I need my TSSA contractor licence number on my invoices?
If you do regulated gas or propane work in Ontario you must be registered with the TSSA. Markup includes a contractor licence field in your business profile, so your TSSA registration number appears automatically on every quote and invoice you send.
When does a service call need a proper invoice instead of a regular invoice?
If the call is a repair or maintenance visit on an existing system (filter swap, annual tune-up, leak check) a regular invoice is fine and there is no Construction Act clock. If the call reveals work that turns into a capital improvement (replacing the heat exchanger on a commercial unit, installing a new gas line, fitting a new air handler in a build) then the job may qualify as an improvement to real property and a proper invoice should be used so the 28-day payment clock applies. When in doubt, use the proper invoice format; it is a strict superset of a regular invoice.
Which tax rate applies to HVAC work in my province?
Ontario charges HST at 13%. Alberta charges GST only at 5%. British Columbia charges GST (5%) plus PST (7%) separately. Nova Scotia charges HST at 14% (reduced from 15% on April 1, 2025); New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and PEI charge HST at 15%. Quebec charges GST (5%) plus QST (9.975%), calculated on the pre-GST base. Markup applies the published rate for the selected province automatically.
Do I need to file T5018 slips for my subcontracted installers and refrigeration techs?
Yes. The T5018 Statement of Contract Payments applies to any subcontractor you pay more than $500 per calendar year for construction services, and HVAC installation, refrigeration work, and ductwork all qualify as construction services under CRA's definition. The penalty for failing to file can reach 200% of the avoided tax. Markup tracks cumulative payments to each subcontractor and flags when you cross the $500 threshold so nothing gets missed at year end.
What is the lien deadline for HVAC work in Ontario, BC, and Alberta?
In Ontario, a lien must be preserved within 60 days of the date of last supply on the improvement. In BC, the Builders Lien Act gives 45 days. In Alberta, the Builders' Lien Act gives 60 days. These deadlines are hard, and courts do not grant equitable extensions. Markup's lien-deadline tracker starts the clock from the last supply date you record and sends a reminder before the window closes.
Does Markup do equipment sizing, Manual J load calculations, or have an equipment database?
No. Markup handles the business and financial side: quoting, invoicing, tax, and compliance. It does not perform load calculations, does not size equipment, and does not maintain an equipment or parts database. You bring your knowledge of the job; Markup handles what happens after you decide what the job needs.
Free tools for HVAC contractors.
Use these before you decide anything. No account, no credit card.
HST, GST + PST, and QST: correct for every province, including split rates for HVAC equipment vs labour where applicable.
Try free →Enter your last supply date and province. Get your exact lien preservation deadline: 60 days ON, 45 days BC, 60 days AB.
Try free →Calculate the 10% statutory holdback on any install job. Includes an explanation of when holdback applies to HVAC work.
Try free →GST/HST remittance deadlines personalized to your province and reporting period. Stay ahead of every quarterly filing.
Try free →Your next install job should start the 28-day clock.
Markup formats every invoice to qualify as a proper invoice under the Ontario Construction Act. Tracks your T5018 obligations. Handles provincial tax. Sends payment reminders automatically.
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